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STEM
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics The Daoine and Strainseiri first appeared six thousand years before gameplay begins. There were several events in which the populations were drastically reduced, helping to further stagnate cultural advancement. Thanks to the recent rediscovery of ancient knowledge, technology and scientific understanding have flowered to be on par with that in the middle of the Renaissance in Europe. There are some exceptions as well as advancements made in foreign lands that haven't yet made it to Domhain Byd. Science Referred to as "natural philosophy" by characters, this is largely based on the work of earlier philosophers from East Shaabe. One of the hallmarks of natural philosophy is a unique form of teleology, which holds that nature is driven toward definite ends just as the behavior of Daoine and Strainseiri is. A famous example is from the great philosopher Elisavet, who suggested that if she is sitting there must be auxiliary causes and a final cause. The auxiliary cause would be the description of muscle and tendons and what makes the sitting physically possible; the final cause--or telos--is the reason for the sitting, what makes it good for her to make this decision. Nature, Elisavet argued, must also have a telos. Animals are assumed to have rational, moral minds because they can make decisions toward their own good. As plants will reach toward sunlight, they must also have rational, moral minds. As the weather, volcanoes, and fire ''also ''all appear to make decisions, they must have a ''telos ''as well. And so weather is the result of decisions made by Cyph, the god of air; volcanoes are the result of decisions made by Nhom, the goddess of earth; and fire is the result of decisions made by Sulaman, goddess of fire. Recently, bold philosophers in Adunato have suggested that there are natural laws which govern these actions and not rational minds. Study to recognize what these laws are have begun over the last few decades. The use of magic complicates identifying the natural laws, but in absence of magic great strides have been achieved, albeit not yet widely accepted. Medicine is considered to be part of natural philosophy and so the guiding principle of ''telos ''is very popular here. Since a body has no reason to decide to be ill, then there must be a rational actor who has caused the illness in all cases. Gods, magic, evil thoughts from another person, and ghosts are all popular explanations. As a result, prayer is still commonly used for healing. Magic is employed, but is quite limited and magically trained healers are not always available. As a result, injuries that lead to infections also frequently lead to death. Proponents of natural law have applied these concepts to medicine, finding that certain methods can reliably be used to cure illness in most cases. Herbology, bloodletting, maggot therapy, administration of alcohol, amputation, and the use of certain molds are the common mundane tools of medicine. The injured and ill who are lucky enough to be treated by a student of natural law have far greater chances of surviving than previously seen. Technology Because there was no clearly understood line between nature and magic in Domhain Byd until recently, alchemists would quite frequently move between chemical theory and applied magic without batting an eye. With the rediscovery of ancient knowledge and the founding of the First University of Aitbheth in Cliath, technology has advanced greatly. The various kingdoms and factions Domhain Byd and their neighbors to the east have vied with one another through war and economic competition, further spurring advancement. Glass is expensive to purchase, but more widely available now. Convex lenses have been developed which can be used for magnification and provide minor aid to those with impaired vision. Spectacles have been invented in the last ten years, but are primarily only affordable to the wealthy. For those in the middle class, they can use a lens which is laid down on what they wish to read and moved along to follow the words. This is called a reading stone. The monks of the Order of Baran devised a way to mount a convex lens and a concave eyepiece within a tube so that objects in the distance could be more easily seen. Dubbed the spyglass, this technology has been copied and modified by others. The Mekti natural philosopher Taavetti devised a way of putting these lenses together in a compound mujhar--or tiny-seer--in order to examine very small things close up. He and his apprentices identified tiny animals swimming in drops of pond water and found that larger living things were made up of cells. This advancement is so new the information is still initially spreading. Black powder was invented in the last hundred years, though who is responsible for the invention is unknown. A troop of Ratkin carnival performers are most commonly associated with the invention, as they are the first known to use fireworks publicly. Cannons were invented during the recent Great War and their use spread throughout the known world almost immediately. A smith by the name of Gunhilda serving King Devlin I in his ongoing war for the crown in Jallen invented a small cannon that can be used by hand. Upon pulling a trigger, flint is struck and a spark ignites the black powder, firing a small lead ball. Her invention is called a gunne in her honor. Steel has been in production since shortly after the previous Worldly War, when the worldwide population was reduced by two-thirds. It has been two thousand years since then and while all "civilized" cultures know how to create steel, not all are equal in its production. Jallen is renowned for its ability to produce exceptionally fine steel that resists shattering better than any other known form of steel. Jallenese steel is similar to the Damascus steel of the real world. Block printing for the sake of publishing is known and is believed to have begun in East Shaabe. However, movable type has yet to be developed. Any text or image that someone wishes to reproduce must first be hand-engraved. The plate is then dipped in ink before pressed into cloth or some other material. Paper itself remains fairly expensive to produce and thus books on paper are almost always copied by hand, as this is seen as more aesthetically pleasing and valuable. Engineering Because of the dangerous waters around the western coasts of Eretath and Aitbheth, it's here where the use of a rudder for steering ships was first developed. Prior to this, all ships used a steering oar held over the side. Many ships in gentler waters still use this method, as it's easier to construct and cheaper to replace. However, the rudder is far more durable and allows for more precision in guiding the ship. Oars and rowing decks are still a common feature on most larger ships, particularly those used for war. Wind alone cannot build up sufficient speed to ram an enemy ship, which is the primary means of attack at sea. Sewers have been in use for as long as cities have existed, utilized primarily for draining cesspools as well as water from city streets. They have been modernized beyond this over the last few decades, along with advanced plumbing to carry water to private homes and to allow for hot running water thanks to fire or coal-powered boiler systems. The only city to have every home, no matter how poor, with fully modern plumbing is Cliath in Aitbheth, as it had to be rebuilt after the war. Most larger cities are catching up to this now, with the Republic of Adunato being the closest to realizing this goal across the entire nation. Rural areas or smaller towns typically remain without plumbing. Castles--and the resulting siege engines--are some of the greatest triumphs of engineering. The concept of fortified forts for protection comes from Nashaabe, where the entire nation is protected by such fortifications. Those outside of Nashaabe had to do a great deal of reverse engineering to figure out how best to create such structures. Concentric defense is used in most castles throughout Domhain Byd, so that once the outer wall is breached there are still multiple inner walls that must be fought through. Towns of sufficient size and wealth are often walled for defense, with a central keep that is added to over the years. Round towers to maximize protection and range for archers are a recent innovation. The older square towers had reduced range for archers and were more easily taken down by siege engines. With the advent of cannons, few square towers remain standing today. Sky lanterns were created hundreds of years before play begins and were imported from Naijin, who took it from East Shaabe. The design was scaled up in Aitbheth was the Great War waxed on so that the dream of non-avian flight could be achieved. They were immediately used to further the war and secured Aitbheth's borders, then the designs were copied, altered, and expanded upon by all known nations. Mathematics Ten digits (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9) have been used across all cultures since at least the Worldly War. Some scholars of mathematics have devised other number systems and theorize that base ten is only so widespread because all other systems were wiped out during the wars. Several small kingdoms in East Shaabe that remain independent from Naijin's imperial efforts host a group of scholars who make serious study of mathematics. These scholars call themselves the Society of the Constant. They not only attempt to innovate the current development of mathematics, but also delve into all of the history they can still find in their continent. The Society of the Constant is responsible for the rediscovery of algebra, refining geometry, several important mathematical theories and vastly improving knowledge of astronomy. Because there was little in the way of formal higher education for previous generations, these discoveries were once largely limited to being shared among other members of the Society. Navigators are automatically considered honorary members of the Society, with the most well-trained of them actually being officially inducted. Because the ability to read star charts and calculate distance requires skill anyway, the Society views this as a way to help spread their discoveries. The symbol of the Society of the Constant is that of a single-mast ship with a star on its sail. Today, the Society of the Constant has sent several of their scholars to the First University of Aitbheth for the sake of research and sharing knowledge. Now anyone capable of attending the university can learn algebra, geometry, and astronomy.Category:OOC